The present application relates to an apparatus and a method for transporting standing objects such as containers, bottles, multipacks and packaged items on a transporting apparatus which comprises at least one first and one second transporting device arranged in parallel to each other, wherein the height of at least one of the transporting devices is adjustable.
Transporting apparatuses which consist of several lanes arranged in parallel are used, for example, to bring together a parallel stream of standing containers, such as for example bottles. Such an apparatus is known from DE-A1-43 32 341. The bottles are first conveyed forwards on several tracks at a first transporting speed. Via a curved rail, the bottles are then shifted onto conveyor belts running in parallel. These conveyor belts running in parallel are operated at a higher speed, with the result that the slower multi-track bottle stream is formed into a faster single-track bottle stream. The drive shafts of the conveyor belts arranged in parallel are usually connected to each other via gears, with the result that the speeds of the parallel conveyor belts always have a predefined ratio to each other.
In addition, it is known from DE-A1-198 16 960 to equip link chain conveyors with brake elements that can be raised and lowered in order to selectively stop objects to be conveyed. The brake elements are preferably arranged in parallel to the transporting direction and can be raised via a suitable hydraulic or pneumatic system in parallel to the transporting direction and above the latter. The length of the brake elements substantially corresponds to the length of individual objects. Individual objects can therefore be raised off the transporting surface of the conveyor with the brake elements, with the result that it is no longer transported further by the continuing conveyor.
From DE-A1-43 30 235 a transporting apparatus is known in which, on both sides of a continuous transporter, lifting units are provided, with which brake bars which are aligned in the longitudinal direction of the conveyor lane can be raised above the bearing plane of the conveyor lane. The bars form a slanting plane, by which the transported packaged items can be raised off the conveyor lane. Again, the length of the bars substantially corresponds to the length of individual objects. Several lifting units can be arranged one behind the other in order to make it possible to stop several packaged goods without dynamic pressure.
In order to close up gaps between transported objects, so-called catch-up sections are used in conventional transporting devices. The catch-up sections are conveyor belts arranged in parallel to the transporting direction and running at a higher speed. The objects are shifted onto these parallel catch-up sections as required. At the end of the catch-up section, the objects are then pushed back onto the original transporting device again. Because of the parallel arrangement, such catch-up sections require more space. The sideways shifting additionally represents a potential danger point as it can easily result in the transported objects tipping over.